Portland Rescue Mission is Helping Take the Chill Out of Winter for More Homeless Guests Thanks to the Advantis Credit Union GROW Community Fund

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The non-profit’s renovated facilities will provide warm showers for an increasing number of displaced homeless guests.

With a generous grant of $8,500 from Advantis Credit Union, Portland Rescue Mission is able to provide even more showers to homeless guests in its newly remodeled facility

Thanks to the efficiency of the new showers, now 2,400 homeless individuals are able to bathe in a safe and clean environment.

Portland, OR (PRWEB)January 28, 2013

There’s nothing like a hot shower on a cold wintry night to warm up and recharge one’s heart and soul. Such a simple thing, but for many homeless Portlanders affected by the current downturned economy, a luxury few and far between. But this year, with a generous grant of $8,500 from Advantis Credit Union, Portland Rescue Mission is able to provide even more showers to homeless guests in its newly remodeled facility.

The $8,500 Advantis GROW grant has been used to update and upgrade the shower facilities at the shelter. Portland Rescue Mission increased its shelter beds by 30 a night this winter, which necessitated critical improvements to the showers in order to serve more individuals. Thanks to the efficiency of the new showers, now 2,400 homeless individuals are able to bathe in a safe and clean environment -- a cleansing experience and an emotional uplift.

“Advantis’ GROW funds have allowed us to install new tile floors in our bathrooms, better drainage and water flow, and simply serve more people in-need,” says Bill Miller, Director of Development Ministry at Portland Rescue Mission. “You cannot underestimate the power of a warm shower to restore a man’s dignity—for many, a shower is the nicest thing they’ve experienced in their past 48 hours – or months.”

Portland Rescue Mission has been a beacon of hope for Portland’s homeless since 1949 providing food, shelter, addiction recovery and other vital services to a growing homeless population at their West Burnside location.

Advantis Credit Union developed their GROW Community Fund in 2011 to assist Portland area non-profits in carrying out their missions to help some of the most vulnerable in the community. By creating an annual fund of $50,000 to bolster small- and medium-sized non-profits with grants up to $10,000, organizations like Portland Rescue Mission can put into motion their plans to serve more people in our community.

About Advantis
Advantis Credit Union, with $987 million in assets, is one of Oregon’s largest member-owned not-for-profit, financial cooperatives with over 48,000 members and five branches in the Portland metro area. Advantis is one of the oldest credit unions in Oregon, serving the Portland metro area for over 84 years. Membership in Advantis is open to anyone who lives or works in 23 counties in Oregon, including: Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Wasco, Washington, or Yamhill counties in Oregon and anyone who lives, works, worships, or attends school in the state of Washington.